<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Harry Potter and the Hallucinations of Time by Alley_Walk (AlleyWalk_writes)</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26856394">Harry Potter and the Hallucinations of Time</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlleyWalk_writes/pseuds/Alley_Walk'>Alley_Walk (AlleyWalk_writes)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Established Sirius Black/Remus Lupin, F/F, Fluffy approves of this, Gen, Harry Hermione and Ron are qpr, Harry was raised by Sirius, Hogwarts First Year, Hogwarts is a wrathful sentient being, M/M, No Bashing, None - Freeform, Not A Fix-It, Queerplatonic Relationships, Sirius Black Never Went to Azkaban, Time Travel, Time Travel Gone Wrong, Trans Harry Potter, i DO NOT SUPPORT JKR's transphobic views, if you hate dumbledore you probably will not like this fic, kind of, no romantic relationships prior to fourth year, secret friendship</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 17:21:40</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,421</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26856394</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlleyWalk_writes/pseuds/Alley_Walk</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>"Harry was in the Great Hall studiously avoiding looking at the High Table. Professor Quirrel gave him headaches and an irrational feeling of guilt and fear that he didn't know what to do about, and two of the Professors there kept giving him hallucinations about their own or other's deaths. He might be barmy, but even he knew it was probably best to avoid that."</p><p>OR: Another Harry Potter accidentally time travels into his 11 year old body, only for something to go disasterously wrong. He guesses Potter luck can't always come through in the end.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter, Hermione Granger &amp; Draco Malfoy &amp; Pansy Parkinson &amp; Harry Potter &amp; Ron Weasley &amp; Blaise Zabini, Hermione Granger &amp; Harry Potter &amp; Ron Weasley, Luna Lovegood/Ginny Weasley, Sirius Black/Remus Lupin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>61</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Chapter One · Fall and Found</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So it’s not real?” Harry asked. He reached over and traced a finger along the line of his mum’s face. She was so beautiful, so vibrant and alive. Mirror James laughed and wrapped an arm around Mirror Lily’s waist, pecking her on the cheek. Harry wrapped the invisibility cloak tighter around his shoulders, pressing his hand against the glass as if he could sink into it and reach the other side.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dumbledore looked at him sadly. “Greater men than you have fallen prey to this mirror, Harry.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry looked to Dumbledore to ask what he meant, only he must have turned the opposite way, because Dumbledore wasn’t there. The room tilted underneath his feet, and he fell to his hands and knees, the cloak pooling on the ground beside him like liquid silver. A cold ache began to emerge, spreading from the back of his head to his whole cranium, and something hot and acidic began knifing through his left eye. The cold travelled down his face and through his neck, nestling itself into his chest where it subsided. The pain in his left eye made a path towards his scar, and he hissed, and put a hand to it. But there was nothing there, and he felt a bit silly for thinking there would be. What did he expect? Blood? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Are you alright, my boy?" Professor Dumbledore asked, reaching out a hand. Harry took it gratefully, grabbing the Cloak as Dumbledore helped him to his feet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Just feeling a bit peaked, sir." Harry said. He swallowed, the pounding in his head lightening to a dull ache.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dumbledore put a hand to Harry's forehead and hmm'd. "Off you go to bed then, my boy." He gave Harry a mischievous smile, blue eyes twinkling, as if he wouldn't have minded if Harry took a broom ride off the Astronomy tower so long as he was safe in bed by first light.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>(The light was dim on this dull, grey day. Green light flashed from above, and Harry screamed as the Light left the world. It was strange. He'd never seen so peaceful an expression in the face of death.)</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>"Harry?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry blinked. His head hurt, and there was a strange wetness on his cheeks. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dumbledore's eyes were gentle, and he set a spindly hand on Harry's shoulder. "My boy, if there's anything you wish to talk about, my door is always open." He hesitated. "Is this about Sirius? If you are having problems at home, my boy…" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry was confused at first. </span>
  <em>
    <span>What does Padfoot have to do with where I live?</span>
  </em>
  <span> Then he laughed at the ridiculousness of the thought, wiping at his cheeks with his free hand. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Of course I live with Padfoot. He's my godfather.</span>
  </em>
  <span> "I'm sorry, Professor. I'm just tired. The Mirror…"  </span>
  <em>
    <span>Might have scrambled my brains a little. But it's fine. Really.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Professor Dumbledore smiled before his face broke out into a humongous yawn, which he politely covered with one hand. The sight of it made Harry yawn just a few moments later, tiredness dragging at his bones. "Off to bed with both of us, it seems." Dumbledore said with a smile. "Come my boy, I'll escort you to Gryffindor Tower."</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Apologies are made, friendships are kindled, and trouble brews on the horizon.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>im sorry im just SO excited for this fic that i just HAD to post the second chapter!</p><p>A few notes:</p><p>I knew that the Mirror of Erised Arc happened around Christmas but I didn't know the exact date, hence i just left it blank. the rest of these have dates that are completely accurate according to timeanddate.com. </p><p>Also, for a cw for anyone who hallucinates, there's a slight hallucination in this chapter involving a bathroom mirror,  jic.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Chapter Two · Apologies and Forgiveness</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Monday, January 13th, 1992</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry took ill that night with fevered dreams of death and devastation of the Wizarding World. The dreams didn't stop after one night. His roommates kept complaining about the noise until Ron had the brilliant idea of putting a permanent silencing charm on the curtains over Harry's bed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hermione implemented the plan with the </span>
  <em>
    <span>quiescis</span>
  </em>
  <span> spell, something Harry was pretty sure Hermione and Ron had modified together from the original spell so his sleep deprived roommates wouldn't turn on him for screaming bloody murder in the middle of the night. Merlin, he loved his friends.</span>
  <em>
    <span> I really should pay them back somehow</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Harry thought as he drifted off to sleep. He woke up with a scream tearing in his throat and a familiar name on his lips, panting as the dream faded. He sat up, shakily pushing his sweaty hair back from his forehead and blinked as a reddish blob swam into view. "Nightmare?" The Ron-blob said sympathetically.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry reached over to the bedside table and slipped on his glasses, vision coming into focus as he grasped his wand in his hand, feeling comforted by its presence. "Yeah," he said with a nod. He swallowed, pushing his glasses up his nose. "I don't even really remember what it was about, now."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Probably a good thing," Ron advised. He grinned and clapped Harry on the shoulder. "C'mon, let's get down to breakfast. I bet 'Mione's waiting to scold us for being late." Ron rolled his eyes</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry smiled at the thought, and took a deep breath and let it out. It was okay. Things were okay. They were just nightmares. Just dreams and hallucinations and things that weren't real.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But if that was true, why did he feel so uneasy?</span>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>Thursday, January 23rd, 1992</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry and Ron were brushing their teeth, getting ready for bed. The First Year Gryffindor boy's bathroom had a large mirror that spread out against the wall of the sink. So Harry could see his reflection perfectly, and yet… he studied his reflection. Malevolent red eyes stared back at him, and his reflection smirked, a long elegant brown wand with dark bead-like notches appearing in his hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>(It was ever so morbid, staring down the end of a wand and knowing you would give yourself no defense. "Goodbye, Tom." His red eyes were triumphant. "Avada Kedavra!")</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Harry coughed. He'd swallowed his toothpaste, his toothbrush on the floor. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ron was looking at him, concerned. "You all right, mate?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry nodded, wiping toothpaste off his chin, not meeting Ron's eyes. "Yeah, I'm fine."</span>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>Saturday, February 1st, 1992</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry was in the Great Hall studiously avoiding looking at the High Table. Professor Quirrel gave him headaches and an irrational feeling of guilt and fear that he didn't know what to do about, and two of the Professors there kept giving him hallucinations about their own or other's deaths. He might be barmy, but he was starting to learn that the more these hallucinations showed themselves, the harder it was to avoid questions about them. Easier to avoid triggering them as much as he could altogether.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry sighed and found himself meeting Draco Malfoy's eyes across the room. Malfoy quickly looked down at his food, as if he hadn't just been caught staring. Harry was confused. Was it possible Malfoy still wanted to be friends? Harry shook his head. That couldn't be right. However, the more Harry thought about it, the more regret he felt at not accepting the other boy's offer of friendship. He wasn't sure where the regret stemmed, he just knew it was there.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His decision made, Harry waited till dinner was over and then slipped away from his housemates.</span>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>"What's this about, Potter?" Malfoy seemed annoyed, but he seemed more enthralled with the fact that Harry had nabbed him from his housemates with his invisibility cloak, eying the fabric in Harry's hands as if it were worth half of Malfoy Manor. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I wanted to apologize." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Malfoy's eyebrows raise. "You wait more than half the school year and you want to </span>
  <em>
    <span>apologize</span>
  </em>
  <span>?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry ducked his head. "Yeah. I'm sorry for being such an arse to you on the train back then. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Even</span>
  </em>
  <span> with what you said to Ron, it wasn't fair of me."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Malfoy crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, looking smug. "I accept your belated apology. We can be friends-"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry gaped. "Friends?!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Malfoy puffed up like an offended peacock. "Well if you didn't want to, what was the point of your flipping apology?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry, I just… didn't think </span>
  <em>
    <span>you'd</span>
  </em>
  <span> want to be friends." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Draco deflated. "Oh. Well, </span>
  <em>
    <span>if</span>
  </em>
  <span> we're going to be friends, we need some ground rules set up."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry nodded. He could agree to that. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Draco smirked. "But in order for me to fully accept your apology, I'm going to need you to do something for me."</span>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>"EXCUSE ME," Harry said, his Sonorous'd voice catching the attention of everyone in the Great Hall. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He fidgeted with his tie; it was Slytherin green. He gulped. They were going to kill him for this. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"DRACO MALFOY IS </span>
  <em>
    <span>THE GREATEST SEEKER IN ALL OF HOGWARTS!</span>
  </em>
  <span> CAN YOU YOU UNDO THE SPELL NOW, FLI-nt?</span>
  <em>
    <span>"</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The Gryffindor table went mad. Oh. He was totally dead. But it was worth it to see the smile Draco shot his way as the other Slytherins laughed and congratulated him.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>a gift is made, a fight is had, and people make up.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>DOUBLE UPDATE!!</p><p>SO! EXCITED! ✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Chapter Three · Fights and Conflicts</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tuesday, January 4th, 1992</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry approached the Slytherin girl nervously, he thought maybe her name was Pansy…? Pansy had honey blonde hair that fell in gentle curls around her face, her eyes a royal blue that gave a soft and innocent cast to her heart shaped face. She was standing alone in the hallway, obviously waiting for someone. She raised an eyebrow at Harry’s approach.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hi, I’m Harry,”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She smiled, looking amused. “I know.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry flushed. “You’re Pansy, right? One of Draco’s friends.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Pansy graced him with a smile. “I had heard that you and Draco made up.” She shook her head, looking exasperated. “Draco was bragging for days until Blaise shut him up.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry laughed. “That sounds like him.” Remembering what he was here for, he dug out what he made for Draco and handed it over to Pansy. Pansy’s eyebrows raised as she examined it. It was a piece of parchment cut into a circle roughly the size of a small dinner plate, with a Slytherin green metal backing edged in silver. The initials D.M. were written in gold on the back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It has a Protean charm on it,” Harry explained, taking out his own parchment done in red and gold, “I figured since we’re in different Houses that it might be a bit hard to communicate sometimes, so…” It seemed sort of stupid now that he thought about it, maybe this wasn’t such a good idea… </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The Protean Charm is a Fifth Year spell,” Pansy said, and she had an odd look on her face, open and honest in a way she hadn’t been before. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry rubbed the back of his head. “Is it?” He hadn't known, and wasn’t sure how he knew a Fifth Year spell. He just knew.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Pansy rolled her eyes with a smile. “Boys.”</span>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>Thursday, February 6th, 1992</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>So where are you right now?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry sighed. Draco's handwriting was a neat cursive scrawl, the kind that was developed under a horde of private tutors hired by rich Purebloods. Harry may be being raised by Padfoot - a stinking rich pureblood himself by his own account - but he'd gotten most of his lessons from Moony, his other Uncle. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>His handwriting was chicken scratch in comparison.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>in the gryffindor common room.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Harry wrote back, tapping the parchment to send his reply.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Really? I've always been curious about the Gryffindor Common Room. Is there as much boorish rough housing and depictions of roaring lions as I've imagined?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>only as many depictions as there are of slimy green snakes in your common room.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Harry told him with a grin.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Of which there are numerous and many, I can assure you.</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"Hey, mate. Can we talk?" Harry looked up. Ron's eyebrows were furrowed, and his lips were turned into a frown. Hermione stood behind him, biting her lip.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Sure," Harry said, scribbling a quick apology to Draco before stuffing the parchment in his bag. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He could practically feel the Malfoy heir's indignation from here.</span>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Mate, what's this about you apologizing to </span>
  <em>
    <span>Malfoy</span>
  </em>
  <span> for what you said to him on the train?" Ron asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry frowned, confused. "It just felt like the right thing to do."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Even </span>
  <em>
    <span>after</span>
  </em>
  <span> what he said about me?" Ron asked angrily, stepping closer to get in Harry's space.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hermione rushed between them, hands held before her as if she could push this conversation away. "I understand that the things he said to you were hurtful, but he's Harry's friend now. Don't you think it would be better if we tried to get along? </span>
  <em>
    <span>Please</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Ron."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ron looked away, his jaw clenched with his hands fisted at his sides. Rubbing at his face with one hand, he looked at them both and smiled. "I've been a right arse, haven't I?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hermione smiled. "Just a bit."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ron laughed. "All right, but one real live snake and I'm out of here." </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>i understand that Ron making up so soon is a bit Ooc for him now, but i hadn't fully grasped his character when id written that scene, and ive really written too much stuff centered around that arc to go back and fix it OTL sorry, but it's gotta stay. ╮(. ❛ ᴗ ❛.)╭</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Quirrelmort: Part 1</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>part 2 of the double update! make sure to read the first chapter before reading this one!</p><p>Also, as a note, there's a huge time jump in this chapter related to canon events, (yay for HP wiki!) so try to pay attention to the dates ;)</p><p>There's some excitement in this one but no real violence yet, but it's pretty long and also pretty AU, so be prepared. ;)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter Four · Start and Storm</p><p>Wednesday, May 27th, 1992</p><p>Harry rushed through the halls of Hogwarts, his textbook levitated in front of him while his quill frenetically scribbled down notes on his floating piece of parchment. He turned the page with a flick of his finger, reading over the words as he copied them down nearly verbatim. He hoped Flitwick wouldn't mind. </p><p>"Is that wandless magic?" A female voice said.</p><p>Harry flinched, realizing that yes it was, indeed, wandless magic, and all of his things dropped to the floor, ink splashing over his parchment. The girl—Harry thought her name was Parvati—winced and knelt down to help him pick up his things. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.”</p><p>“That’s all right,” Harry told her with a small smile, “I wasn’t really watching where I was going, so I guess I kind of deserved it.”</p><p>Parvati laughed, handing him the rest of his things as they both stood. “Alright, well, see you in class, Potter.”</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Wednesday, June 3rd, 1992</p><p>“And I’m telling you it’s not him!” Draco argued. They were once again hanging about in their old abandoned Charms classroom. Pansy had neatened up the place by dusting the whole classroom. She then vanished all the desks and transfigured the chairs into elegant wingback chairs and arrayed them in a circle, spreading damask carpets on the floor with matching pillows scattered across the carpet. A roaring green fireplace sat against one wall, giving off a pleasant warmth. The teacher’s desk still sat at the front of the room of course, with Draco sitting behind it with his legs propped up on the edge as if he owned it. </p><p>Blaise sighed. “Not this again.”</p><p>“You’re just defending him because he’s your Head of House,” Ron said.</p><p>“He’s also my godfather,” Draco said with a roll of his eyes.</p><p>“That too,” Ron quipped.</p><p>Hermione sighed, frustrated. “This isn’t getting us anywhere. Why don’t we just go up and ask the Professor where he was during the Hallowe’en Feast?” </p><p>“Samhain,” Pansy corrected.</p><p>“Samhain,” Harry agreed. “But I think Hermione’s right. Why don’t we just go up and ask him? Constantly debating about it isn’t getting us anywhere.” </p><p>“That is the <em> least </em> Slytherin plan I have ever heard of,” Blaise said.</p><p>Ron threw a shoe at him. “Shut up, you wanker.”</p><p>“So tomorrow, we’ll ask him.” Hermione clarified.</p><p>“Tomorrow.” They agreed.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Thursday, June 4th, 1992</p><p>Finding Snape turned out to be a near impossible task the next day after lessons, as he was not in his classroom, nor in his office or personal quarters. Draco let them into the latter with the <em> sanguine </em> spell, an old pureblood spell that recognizes bloodlines or magical bloodlines as a way to ward things from others who aren’t of the family. “Don’t think I won’t know if you start gossiping about this,” Draco said, giving Harry and the other Gryffindors a warning look.</p><p>Harry smiled reassuringly. “Don’t worry, our lips are sealed.” Draco raised an eyebrow and Harry gave him an innocent look. “Really.” He said, turning serious. Ron and Hermione both nodded.</p><p>Harry had a lope in his step. He felt he’d finally gotten his equilibrium back from that time with the mirror, like he was finally himself again. He wasn’t quite sure what – or who – he had been before, but it certainly hadn’t been pleasant. </p><p>Dumbledore was gone, and even the Slytherins were certain that that meant he was lured away from the Stone. They were divided about what they wanted to do about the matter. Hermione and the Slytherins were adamant about a teacher, but they eventually decided to split up, with the least offensive of their party of Slytherins (re: Pansy) going to get the teachers, while the rest of them went off to face Snape.</p><p>Except Harry had an odd feeling. Like Draco was telling the truth, and it really <em> wasn’t </em> Snape. As they walked up the stairs towards the third floor corridor, Harry couldn’t escape the feeling that something much more ominous was waiting for them.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>They snuck into the room only to find that Fluffy was asleep. He truly was as monstrous as he had been the first time Harry had seen him, nearly half the size of the room with a large barrel chest and large paws with claws that had a wicked curve reminiscent of a bear claw. His three heads were varied, going from left to right, a brown and white boxer with button ears, a black, tan and white corgi missing his left eye, and a black labrador retriever, with all six eyes closed in sleep. He had a corgi’s markings, but a boxer’s long, straight tail. He was curled up in a ball slumbering right on top of the trap door. With a closer look, Harry actually thought he was kind of cute.</p><p>Harry took a step forward and the floor creaked under his weight, the sound like a gunshot in the silent room. All six eyes snapped open, Fluffy getting to his feet while the corgi head sniffed the air, the other two yawning and showing great, white teeth. </p><p>“Run?” Ron asked.</p><p>“Run.” Harry agreed.</p><p>Harry turned, following the others in retreat, when he slipped on a patch of saliva on the floor, tumbling to the ground. “Harry!” Hermione screamed.</p><p>The three headed dog pounced on top of him, pinning him to the floor. It’s claws dug lightly into his chest, piercing cloth and scraping painfully against flesh. The corgi looked him straight in the eyes. <em> And what do you want with my den, paulo vulpes? </em></p><p>Harry’s eyes widened and he looked over at Hermione and the others for a second. Hermione was shooting fireworks at the beast, not that it seemed to do much damage, while Blaise and Draco seemed to both be chanting something under their breath in synchrony, power blooming between them. Uh-oh. “Wait, wait! Stop for a second! I don’t think she’s going to kill me!”</p><p>Hermione stopped shooting fireworks long enough to ask, “ ‘She’ ?” </p><p>Harry shrugged, then grimaced from his place on the ground, trying for a grin. “She’s sort of, um, talking to me.”</p><p>Draco broke his part of the spell to say, “That’s not possible! Only parselmouths can speak to animals, and even then, only snakes. Does <em> that </em> look like a snake to you?” When Blaise looked at him, annoyed, Draco scowled at him, kicking his ankle.</p><p>He attempted a shrug again. It’s not like he knew any more than they did. “We want to go down to protect what you’re guarding,” Harry explained to Fluffy.</p><p><em> My protection is perfectly adequate. </em> Fluffy said. She cocked her head then and began sniffing the air. She let out a ferocious growl, leaping to her feet and pacing the room with large booming steps. <em> An intruder, an intruder has infiltrated the heart of the den! </em>Fluffy stopped in her tracks and lifted her heads with a howl that shook Hogwarts to its very bones, magic washing over Harry’s skin and blowing his hair back in an invisible breeze. </p><p><em>Hogwarts will no longer welcome him anymore,</em> Fluffy said with satisfaction. <em>But I cannot go after him. But you…</em> She fixed her gazes on Harry. She stepped closer, and pressed her large corgi nose to his forehead. <em>I give you my blessing, vulpecula.</em> <em> Protect my den with everything you have and I shall owe you a boon.</em></p><p>Harry felt warmth wash over his skin, goosebumps rising on his arms.</p><p>With that she stepped back and let them pass. </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>“Your new friend could have at least warned us about the plants,” Draco grouched, kicking one errantly off of his leg as he passed. </p><p>“Yeah, seriously, what a- <em> whoa </em>.” Ron said. They all turned to see what he was looking at. The room they had entered felt familiar to Harry in a way that was patchy and discordant, like a scratched record, it just didn’t quite fit. The large cavernous ceilings were empty, and two broken ends of a racing broom lay against the wall. Hermione had her hand against the wall and was tugging at something that had been lodged inside of it. Looking closer Harry could see what must be hundreds of small golden objects gouged deep inside the wall. Molten gold dripped down like beeswax from the walls to pool onto the floor, a large gouge the size of Harry back against one wall. </p><p>“ ‘Hogwarts will no longer welcome him anymore,’ ” Harry quoted, as Hermione gasped and dropped the shard of gold on the ground, the shard rolling to a stop at Harry’s feet, covered in red. </p><p>Hogwarts suddenly had a more ominous quality to it than it had a moment before, and all five of them huddled together as they continued on. What looked like a giant chess board was completely destroyed, and as they walked through the remains they were quiet, glancing around furtively.</p><p>"Do you really think…?" Hermione began.</p><p>"Hogwarts…?" Ron breathed.</p><p>"Yeah," Harry said, grimly.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>They were in the final room, the wall of flame roaring in front of them as their only obstacle. "This one, Harry, here! It's the only one that makes sense. Well, from what I can tell," Hermione said, glancing around at the destroyed Potions classroom around them. Glass crunched beneath their feet, dark and viscous fluids splattered across the walls, the wood and metal shelving that had held the potions sharpened into dangerous points. Harry was careful not to touch anything with any suspicious fluids. At least half of the things in this room had been poisonous, according to Hermione.</p><p>"And the only one not horribly broken. Must have had an Unbreakable Charm on it." Blaise observed.  </p><p>"Or Hogwarts decided not to break it," Draco said, glancing around nervously.</p><p>Harry took the phial from Hermione's hands, unstoppered it, and drank it all down in one go. Hermione stared at him, wide eyed. Harry blinked. "What?"</p><p>"Tha-that could have been poison, and you just-"</p><p>Harry grinned. "Don't worry, Hermione, I'm not dead yet."</p><p>Hermione nodded. "The phial should refill, but I don't know how long it will take." </p><p>Harry nodded, suddenly unsure what to say. Swallowing nervously, he turned and walked through the fire.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Quirrellmort Part 2</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Chapter Five · Fire and Blood</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Step towards the mirror.” Quirrell said without one single stutter, wand pointed at Harry’s chest. Somehow Harry thought that fitting. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry stepped forward as if in a dream, standing before the mirror with his face turned away. Quirrell jabbed his wand tip into Harry’s chest. “Look into the mirror, boy!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Instead, Harry drew his wand and shouted, </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Expelliarmus!”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Quirrell’s wand flew into his hand, and Harry tucked it into his robe pocket. He ran up the steps and turned towards the mirror, the spell coming easily to his lips.</span>
  <em>
    <span> “Bombarda!”</span>
  </em>
  <span> The mirror shattered in an explosion of glass, and two voices screamed in pain and rage.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Accio Wand Duo!”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Quirrell shouted, and Harry cried out as his wand as well as Quirrell's landed in the man’s hand. Quirrell snapped Harry’s holly wand in two, and Harry cried out with agony. </span>
</p><p>
  <b>“Now, we will end thisss,”</b>
  <span> A sinister male voice said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, we shall,” Quirrell agreed, and his eyes became cruel. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Crucio!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry dodged to the side, the spell just barely grazing him. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Crucio!”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Quirrell barked, and Harry dropped and rolled to the side to avoid it, his shoulder slamming painfully against the wall. The third Crucio struck him in the chest and Harry screamed, liquid fire pouring through his veins. He writhed on the ground, a fist meant to hurt wrapping around his heart and squeezing. He could hear Quirrellmort laughing, but he didn’t much care. It figured. That famous Potter luck had to run out at some point. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The spell finally let up and Harry stilled, panting and soaked in sweat. His body felt both hot and cold at the same time, and as he looked at Quirrell, he could see something. Something glowing and sickly, pulsing weakly inside his chest. Quirrell sauntered towards him, a smug smirk on his face as he pointed his wand at Harry’s chest. </span>
  <b>“Any lassst wordss, Potter?”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. This.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry reached out towards the glow in Quirrell’s chest and </span>
  <em>
    <span>pulled</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Quirrell screamed, falling to his hands and knees as light flowed out of his eyes and mouth, and Harry swallowed it greedily, standing shakily to his feet as he felt his strength returning. He felt himself getting overfull, but he didn’t stop, </span>
  <em>
    <span>couldn’t</span>
  </em>
  <span> stop until Quirrell was dead. A warmth prickled against his back, travelling down his spine and up the base of his neck to the back of his head, until it bloomed outwards into a mane of roaring blue flames. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Quirrell dropped to the floor, his eyes dead and accusing. A shade arose from his body and screamed in rage, fleeing through the wall before Harry could go after it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Harry!” Hermione yelled. He turned. Hermione, Ron, Blaise and Draco rushed into the room, wands at the ready.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry rubbed at the back of his neck, his hand passing harmlessly through the flames there. “Hey, guys.” He shifted a bit awkwardly as they stared at him, and Hermione gasped, looking at Quirrell.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is he-?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry bit his lip and looked down at his feet. He heard footsteps and looked up, and was surprised to see Blaise and Draco moving towards him, awe and respect on their faces.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They stepped over Quirrell as if he were garbage and both knelt down on one knee in front of him. They looked up and met his gaze, saying in unison, “Spiritborn, we swear ourselves to you. May you guard our wands and hearts, as we promise to guard you. Through wand and flame, through war and strife, we pledge to you to save our lives.” They glanced at each other, and both let out a breath, an odd tension strung through the air. “So mote it be.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry stared at them both in confusion. “What?”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Gregor the Overlander is awesome shut up</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>